The crazies come out to play…
IsAnyoneUp.com is a website bringing the lowest of low into anyone’s home. A site built as an online public “burn book”, people are encouraged to post nude pictures of women and men in cases of revenge porn…and the man pulling the strings is Hunter Moore. Moore revels in his title as the Most Hated Man on the Internet, but as Hunter becomes bigger and bigger, he has more targets on his back. The posting of a picture of Kayla Laws brings Hunter a new enemy…Charlotte Laws. Laws intends to get her daughter’s picture down, and she will stop at nothing to do it.
Directed by Rob Miller, The Most Hated Man on the Internet is a documentary series. It focuses on the IsAnyoneUp.com and its creator Hunter Moore who operated the site from 2010-2012. The three part series premiered on Netflix on July 27, 2022.
Do you know where your pictures are?
I vaguely remember the controversy surrounding Hunter Moore, but the general conversation about revenge porn was something that was generally begin discussed at the time. Watching The Most Hated Man on the Internet shows some of the lowest of the low, but also demonstrates a pattern that seems more prevalent in America today.
The documentary has enough twists to keep the three episode length compelling. The rise of Hunter Moore, the hubris of Hunter Moore, and the fall of Hunter are the general breakdown of the episodes, and how the events play out are interesting. You get a lot of players with the FBI and James McGibney added to the mix, but they do water down the idea that the showdown was between Charlotte Laws and Hunter Moore.
Keeping it classy
The documentary itself is tough to watch. The website didn’t cater to simple nudity and some of the described acts are very vulgar. It will make viewing the documentary tough for some. It is part of what makes the whole series dirty…while Moore is coercing and forcing some into the acts, there are others that do it voluntarily. They choose to trade self-respect for the opportunity for fifteen minutes of fame…without any idea of what the real price could be (or with the realization that it could lead to the most money they have ever made). Money talks, and Hunter realizes this. It also is more about the image you project…but Hunter went for notoriety which got him in trouble.
…forever known as “Butthole Girl” (as she even says)
The people in the documentary range from sympathetic to a little more ambiguous. Moore is a complete scum who would probably be ok in being described of it. It is part of the scary part of him in that he seems like a sociopath. Charlotte Laws is interesting in that she rose to fame through similar notoriety by teaching people how to meet famous people. Her fame was essentially at the cost of others, but it didn’t harm people (unlike Hunter). James McGibney plays a bit of a wild card since no one is working together and he also has a bit of flash and panache to him. Other players like Hunter’s girlfriend and Destiny “Butthole Girl” Benedict profited from being associated with Hunter Mason, but didn’t realize the consequences until later…but being gullible and naive isn’t a crime.
He comes for blood
What is interesting about The Most Hated Man on the Internet is that it shows a pattern that has developed even more in recent years. Hunter controlled “the Family”. They were his ardent followers who did what he said and kept Hunter’s hands clean. It feels like other online bullies from political leaders calling for harassment of private citizens to online websites like InfoWars attacking victims of mass shootings to Snydercut fans going after corporations. It all feels connected…not only by social media but by the mob mentality it breeds.
The Most Hated Man on the Internet is a decent look at the worst aspects of the internet and how it can breed people who might not be murders but are something bad in a different way. It is fame, money, and the potential for more than drives them. Hunter Moore isn’t the first criminal to utilize mob mentality to do his bidding and get rich and he won’t be the last. It rarely is the mob that gets people in trouble, but everything that comes with it. I would like to say we’ve heard the last of Hunter Moore, but people like him seem to keep popping up.
The Most Hated Man on the Internet Complete Episode Guide
Episode 1
Episode 1 Release Date: 07/27/22
Hunter Moore is an internet rockstar. His website IsAnyoneUp.com is loaded with naked women, private pictures, and obscene videos…and as a result the internet loves him. When Charlotte Laws learns her daughter Kayla picture posted, she starts a crusade to protect her…but crossing Hunter could be a danger. A war is about to start.
“Episode 2”
Episode 2 Release Date: 07/27/22
Charlotte Laws as been a celebrity in the past as a person who can meet anyone…and now she has her sights on Hunter Moore and the potential hacking behind his website’s success. As Hunter Moore gains popularity, IsAnyoneUp.com becomes a bigger website but a trip to Anderson Cooper puts a public eye on Hunter…and finally gets the attention of the FBI. Professional anti-bullying internet promoter and former marine James McGibney learns about IsAnyoneUp.com and decides to go after Hunter Moore.
“Episode 3”
Episode 3 Release Date: 07/27/22
IsAnyoneUp.com is no more, but Hunter Moore is just starting. The FBI are moving in on the hacking as Charlotte refuses to let Hunter get away scot-free. Hunter Moore finds he is losing is audience, and he needs to up the ante with IsAnyoneUp2. Anonymous gets involved in the battle against Hunter Moore…and Hunter’s plush life might be getting more difficult.
